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The Suns will have to make their own luck because Tuesday night’s draft lottery did not offer any for them once again.

The ping-pong balls bounced against the Suns, keeping them at the No. 4 pick for the June 23 draft after entering the lottery with the fourth-best odds to win. They had a 9.85 percent chance of landing at No. 4 and could have been slotted from No. 1 to No. 7.

“Did they have the lottery or did they forget to do that?” Suns general manger Ryan McDonough joked of the lottery order matching the probability order, giving Phoenix a “better than average” result.

It is the highest Suns draft pick since they selected Armen Gilliam at No. 2 in 1987, which was also the last time that the Suns moved up in draft order via the lottery.

The lottery also determined that the Suns will be the only team with two lottery-range picks. Washington’s first-round pick will convey to the Suns at No. 13 to complete February’s Markieff Morris trade.

“We’re happy with where we ended up,” McDonough said. “Our initial projections are there are going to be a lot of really good players in that range. I wouldn’t rule out us making (trade) calls, but I think if we were to do something with the pick, which is unlikely, it would be closer to the draft.”

The Suns did not move up in the draft lottery order for the 11th consecutive time that they have been in it over 29 years. They last received a lottery bump in 1987, when they went from seventh in the order to drafting second, where they got Gilliam behind top pick David Robinson.

Getting into the draft’s top two spots was considered the ideal scenario this year. LSU's Ben Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram are widely considered the top two prospects. After that, opinions differ for a group that could include Croatian 7-footer Dragan Bender, Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield, Kentucky combo guard Jamal Murray, Providence point guard Kris Dunn and California small forward Jaylen Brown.

A bevy of guards with guaranteed contracts for next season (Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, Devin Booker and Archie Goodwin) and the possibility of 2014 draft pick Bogdan Bogdanovic, a guard, joining the backcourt this year apparently will not deter the Suns from weighing that top guard prospect group.

“Our philosophy, my philosophy, has always been, 'Just take the best players in the draft and then figure the rest of it out down the road,' ” McDonough said.

The Suns have picked at No. 4 three times – Corky Calhoun (1972), John Shumate (1974) and Alvan Adams (1975). Last year, the NBA draft’s No. 4 pick was New York’s Kristaps Porzingis, the Rookie of the Year runner-up.

“The pick will have a lot of value to us,” McDonough said. “I think it will also have a lot of value around the league in terms of trade calls.

“The good part about that is it gives us flexibility to do different things. We can address a couple different positions. As the only team with two lottery picks, in theory, you could take maybe one younger guy maybe with some more upside and more potential and then one more established guy just to get players in different ranges and different stages in their development.”

Booker, whom the Suns drafted last year at No. 13, represented the Suns at the lottery in the seat next to former Suns guard Isaiah Thomas, representing Boston after an All-Star season. Booker said the New York stage was more nerve-wracking than he expected.

“I don’t care about the number in the draft,” Booker said of the lottery results. “I care more about the person. I hope they’re ready to work and come in with a winning attitude.”

The Suns also will have the 28th and 34th picks in this year’s draft but do not plan to keep all of their picks with a young core already on the roster.

McDonough said it is more likely for the Suns to retain the fourth and 13th picks, with salary cap-friendly, rookie-scale contracts being factors, and consider trading the 28th and/or 34th picks or drafting an international player who would not come overseas immediately. He said this year’s draft crop of international players will be strong in the range of their 28th and 34th picks.

This is only the second time in Suns history that they have three first-round picks. The other was 2014, when McDonough’s staff picked T.J. Warren (14th) and Tyler Ennis (18th) and did a draft-and-stash at No. 27 with Bogdanovic.

“We have as many options as any team in the draft and we have as much flexibility as any team in the draft, especially at the high end,” McDonough said.

The Suns also had some relief with the Lakers staying at No. 2 in the draft. The Suns formerly owned that pick but traded it in the three-team deal to acquire Brandon Knight in February 2014. Had the Lakers slipped to No. 4 or No. 5, the pick now would have conveyed to Philadelphia.

2. Brandon Ingram, Duke, SF, 6-9, 195, 18 years old. | More than a year younger than Simmons, Ingram is gaining steam with his upside based on his length (7-3 wingspan), shooting ability, teamwork and competitiveness. Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

3. Dragan Bender, Croatia, PF, 7-0, 220, 18 years old. | Bender is a bit of a mystery man, having played little for Maccabi Tel Aviv this season because of injury and the experience on the roster. Roberto Serra/Iguana Press, Getty Images

4. Buddy Hield, Oklahoma, SG, 6-4, 215, 22 years old. | The Bahamas native has an indisputable work ethic, making vast improvements in his game over the past two years. He averaged 25 points and made 46 percent of his 3-pointers as a senior. Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

6. Kris Dunn, Providence, PG, 6-4, 220, 22 years old. | Dunn is clearly the draft’s top point guard with an ability to be a lockdown defender. He has a strong 6-4 frame to defend physically but also be quick enough with his hands and feet to burst into lanes. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

7. Jaylen Brown, California, SF, 6-7, 225, 19 years old. | Brown has prototype size and athleticism for a wing but fizzled out at the end of the season, including a four-point, seven-turnover game in California’s first-round tourney exit to Hawaii. Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

8. Jakob Poeltl, Utah, C, 7-1, 240, 20 years old. | The Pac-12 Player of the Year is about to become the first Austrian NBA player. His return to Utah paid off, becoming a player who averaged 17.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

10. Skal Labissiere, Kentucky, PF/C, 6-11, 220, 20 years old. | Labissiere is the classic project. He has dream tools with his size (6-11 with a 7-2 wingspan), athleticism to run and jump well and a shot with deep range. Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

13. Domantas Sabonis, Gonzaga, PF/C, 6-10, 240, 20 years old. | Arvydas Sabonis’ son has familiar strength and passing ability but lacks shooting range. He was an excellent post-up player, unexpectedly stepping into a starting role this season due to injury. Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

14. Denzel Valentine, Michigan State, SG/SF, 6-6, 220, 22 years old. | Only Valentine’s lack of athleticism and speed is keeping him from being touted higher. Otherwise, he is a polished, four-year player with maturity and a complete game. Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

15. Furkan Korkmaz, Turkey, SG, 6-7, 185, 18 years old. | The international run could also go other directions with several candidates, particularly teams such as the Suns who might want to stash a player overseas for a year or two. STR, AFP/Getty Images